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About
Jungle Safari in Nepal
A trip to Nepal is incomplete if you have not been on a
jungle safari. While the mountains of the north have
some of the highest and most magnificent peaks in the
world, the tropical jungles of the Terai preserve some
of the best wildlife habitat in the Subcontinent. Some
of these rich wildlife habitats are now protected, and
can be toured on elephant back, 4WD, dugout canoe or on
foot accompanied by a licensed guide.
Nepal has 16 national parks, wildlife reserves and
conservation areas, occupying 16% of its total
geographical area. Jungle safaris on elephant back or
Jeep rides are offered at the Parsa Wildlife Reserve,
Royal Bardia National Park, Royal Chitwan National Park
and the Royal Suklaphanta wildlife reserve, all located
in the Terai.
Safari Parks
Royal Chitwan
National Park is the most popular
destination for tourists wanting to have a good
experience of the region's wildlife. It was declared a
National Park in 1973. In 1984, UNESCO designated it as
a Natural World Heritage Site. The Park offers
protection to 56 species of mammals including the
one-horned rhinoceros, Bengal tiger, leopard, sloth
bear, wild elephant, striped hyena, Gangetic dolphin and
wild bison. There are an estimated 470 species of
mammals, over 500 species of birds, 126 species of fish,
150 species of butterflies and 47 species of reptiles in
the park! A recent study also points out that over a
third of Nepal's tigers are in Chitwan.
The park is spread over an area of 932 sq. kms and
located in the lowlands of the kingdom. The forest cover
is predominantly sal, interspersed with tall grasslands,
small hills, ox-bow lakes and flood plains.
The best time to visit Chitwan is from October through
February, when the temperature averages 25 degrees
Celsius. The months of March, April and June can be
extremely hot, while July-September is the monsoon
season when rivers swell and parts of the park are
inaccessible.
Access and Accomodation for Chitwan: RNAC has daily
flights from Katmandu to Meghauli ($72 each way), and
flights to Bharatpur ($55) each way. If you want to stay
at Sauraha, the budget accommodation place for Chitwan,
get to Tadi bazaar, located 15 km east of Narayanghat on
the Mahendra Highway. Royal Chitwan National Park is
easily accessible by road from Kathmandu, connected as
it is by a national highway from Bharatpur to Sauraha.
The state-run Sajha Yatayat buses cost around $ 1.2 from
Katmandu or Pokhara, while tourist buses cost around
$2.5. There are also greenline air-conditioned buses
between Katmandu and Sauraha at $7.
The other exciting way to get to Chitwan is to take a
2-3 day rafting trip down the Trisuli river to
Narayanghat, or directly into the Western edge of the
park.
There are plenty of jungle lodges and hotels in and
around Chitwan. The lodges in the park are expensive.
For budget accommodation, look around Sauraha and take
your pick of a range of good lodges.
The Royal
Bardia National Park is spread over 968
sq. km and located in the Western Nepal Terai. It is
easily the largest and least disturbed wilderness spread
in the Terai, and is predominantly Sal forest sprinkled
with tall grasslands. It is bound on the north by the
Chure hills and is skirted on the West by the Geruwa
river.
It is here that your chances of spotting a tiger in
Nepal are the highest. Other animals include the
rhinoceros, swamp deer, leopards, jungle cats, blue bull
(nilgai) sloth bears, barking deer and langurs.
There are a few wild elephants, and one of the males is
considered the largest in Asia!
The Geruwa river that rushes in through a break in the
hill range is home to the famous masher game fish,
gharial, mugger crocodile and the freshwater Gangetic
dolphin. The park also has cobras, kraits and pythons.
The park boasts more than 250 species of birds,
including the endangered Bengal florican, Sarus crane
and many species of geese, ducks and parakeets.
The activities include jungle safari on elephant back,
walks, boat rides and Jeep drives. The best time to
visit is from October-March.Royal
Access and Accomodation for Chitwan for Bardia: The
reach the Royal Bardia National Park, there are daily
flights as well as public buses from Katmandu to
Nepalgunj. The park office is situated at Thakurdwara,
20 km southwest along a dirt road from Anbassa on the
Mahendra Highway. The drive from Nepalgunj takes less
than 2-1/2 hours, although local buses take much longer.
For Thakurdwara, there are a couple of direct buses from
Nepalgunj at 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., taking 3-4 hours and
costing $1.
Night buses from Kath-mandu to Mahendra-nagar can drop
you at Anbassa during the week hours. Buses to
Mahendra-nagar charge $2.5 and to Pokhara $5.
There are a number of lodges and hotels that have
recently sprung up, so there is no real problem for
accommodation. However, in the season, it may be
advisable to make a booking before heading out.
Suklaphanta
Wildlife Reserve is a smaller (305 sq km)
version of Bardia. Located at the southwestern extreme
of the Kingdom, its topography is primarily riverine
floodplain, open grassland and sal forest. It also has a
large lake and the Bahini river flows through the park.
The park is home to tiger, leopard, a good number of
swamp deer (prime habitat, often sighted), otters, his-pid
hare, blue bull (nilgai), leopard, hog deer and wild
boar.
The park also has over 300 species of birds and most of
the tourists who make the trip here are keen bird
watchers. Reptiles include gharial and mugger
crocodiles, Indian python, cobras, kraits, rat snakes
and monitor lizards.
Activities include wildlife watching on elephant back
and jungle walks. The best time visit is February-March.
Access and Accomodation for Chitwan for Royal
Suklaphanta: The reserve is close to Mahen-dranagar on
the Indian border. The ranger's office is 3 km past the
airport, and is accessible by rickshaw. The company
operating inside the park picks up guests at the airport
for $10. The accommodation provided here is in
comfortable safari tents and the price ($150) includes
meals, game drives and walks.
There are regular buses and flights to Mahendranagar
from Kathmandu.
Parsa Wildlife Reserve
is located to the east of the Royal Chitwan
National Park. It is spread over 499 sq. km of hills and
flatlands, and has a sub-tropical monsoon cli-mate. The
forests are predominantly sal, with other species like
chir pine, sissoo and khair, and grasslands making up
the rest. This reserve has tigers, leopards, sloth
bears, wild dogs (dhole), blue bull (nilgai), hog beer
and barking deer. It also is home to over 300 species of
birds, including the endangered giant hornbill and the
Bengal florican. Snakes found are cobras, kraits and
pythons.
October to March is just right for a visit. Activities
include safaris on elephant back and jeep, and jungle
walks.
Access and Accomodation for Chitwan for Parsa: The
reserve headquarters for Parsa is located at Adabar on
the Hetauda-Birganj highway, and easily accessible from
Kathmandu. It is connected by daily flights to Simra and
buses that ply regularly on the national highway.
What to bring along
Although the Terai can be cool during the winter, it can
be stiflingly hot during the summer months. If you are
headed there in winter, bring along a sweater or jacket.
Summer months require cool clothes, good walking shoes,
shady hat and sunscreen. Make sure your clothes are in
colours-like brown and green- that help you blend into
the background.
Carry along some mosquito repellant, anti-diarrhea
tablets and anti-histamines. Meanwhile, along with photo
equipment, a pair of binoculars will prove invaluable.
If you are closer to the mon-soon months, carry some
waterproof jackets and an extra pair of shoes. Just in
case.
The Terai jungles are also famous for leeches that
appear in the monsoon and are around for a few months
after. Salt or a lighted cigarette will make them fall
off, do not pull them off as the wound may get infected.
Try an insect repellant to keep them away.
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